country of some harmless savage tribes, burns their villages, destroys their fields and flocks, massacres the infirm and old, and returns with as many able-bodied prisoners as he can seize.Sometimes 3000 are obtained in a single ghrazie, which is the name of those expeditions. No one doubts the propriety of the thing; and if any do, he is silenced by the argument, that they are Kerdies (Infidels), and therefore at the mercy of the true believers. Another pretext, when any is designed to be alleged, is often, that these tribes do not observe the laws of the Prophet: and this is particularly convenient; for it applies equally to such as are Mahomedans and such as are not.

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One of these ghrazies, 3000 strong, Major Denham accompanied, for the purpose of seeing the country; and he has given us an animated description of it. It was sent by El Kanemy, the sovereign of Bornou, to the Sultan of Mandara, with a request that it might be permitted to attack some of the Kerdy towns in his dominions. But he, perceiving that this large force might be turned to his own purposes and service, determined and cunningly contrived to direct them against some neighbouring Felatah cities. Major Denham suspects El Kanemy himself of not being averse to such a destination; hoping that it might humble or destroy the Arabs, who, under Boo-Khaloom, had formed their escort across the Desert from Tripoli to Kouka, and had lately become extremely unreasonable and unruly. They did not wish to go back from Central Africa, without the booty which it afforded; and were loud in their expressions of contempt for the blacks, himself and his people.

After several days' march, the ghrazie arrived at the Sultan of Mandara's capital, at the foot of an elevated and extensive chain called the Mandara mountains; and held a parley with him, on the objects of their visit. "Boo-Khaloom was, as usual, very "sanguine: he said, he should make the Sultan handsome pre

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sents; and that he was quite sure a Kerdy town full of people "would be given to him to plunder.' The Arabs were all ea"gerness; they eyed the Kerdy huts, which were now visible 66 on the sides of the mountains before us, with longing eyes; "and contrasting their own ragged and almost naked state with "the appearance of the Sultan of Mandara's people in silk tobes (or shirts), not only thought, but said, "if Boo-Khaloom pleas

"ed, they would go no further; this would do.'"

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This is a

striking instance of the characteristic disposition of the Arabs to attack and plunder. Here they had come to this Sultan for leave to catch savages in his territory, and they were about to make himself the object of pursuit. "Boo-Khaloom and the “Arab Sheikhs had repeatedly exclaimed, when urging El Ka66 nemy to send them to some country for slaves, Never mind "their numbers! arrows are nothing! and ten thousand spears are of no importance. We have guns! guns!' exclaiming, "with their favourite imprecations, we'll eat them, the dogs, "quickly-what! why they are negroes all!' I fancied I could "see the keen features of El Kanemy curl at these contemptu"ous expressions, which equally applied to his own people."— It was not against Kerdies, but against people who would cre"ate in this handfull of Arabs a little more respect for spears “and arrows, that El Kanemy wished they should be sent; and "this he thought could not be better accomplished than by con"signing them to the Sultan of Mandara, whose natural ene"mies, as well as his own, were the Felatahs, the most warlike "people in the whole country."

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"The principal Mandara towns are eight in number, and all “stand in the valley: these and the smaller ones by which they are surrounded, all profess Islamism. The Kerdies are far more numerous; and their dwellings are seen every where in "clusters on the sides, and even at tops, of the very hills which "immediately overlook the Mandara capital. The fires which 66 were visible in the different nests of these unfortunates, threw "a glare upon the bold peaks and bluff promontories of granite "rock by which they were surrounded, and produced a pictu66 resque and somewhat awful appearance. The dread in which "they hold the Sultan has been considerably increased by his "close alliance with the Sheikh (of Bornou, El Kanemy); and "the appearance of such a force as that now biyouacked in the "valley, was the most appalling sight to those who occupied the "overhanging heights. They were fully aware, that for one "purpose only, would such a force visit their country; and "which of them were to be victims, must have been the cause "of most anxious inquietude and alarm to the whole. By the "assistance of a good telescope, I could discover those, who,

"from the terms on which they were with Mandara, had the "greatest dread, stealing off into the very heart of the moun"tains." Others came down to sue for mercy, bringing presents of leopard skins, honey, slaves, and horses, as peace-offerings. These poor, proscribed, and persecuted people were, no doubt, the original inhabitants of the country, and have been dispossessed of it, and driven from the vallies into the mountains, by the Felatahs, Mandaras, Bornouese, and other powerful nations of the interior, who have alternately held and lost it, and contend among themselves for dominion. Being more civilized and assembled in larger and better organized communities, they could easily prevail against the Kerdies, who are mere wild

savages.

It did not suit the Sultan's purposes at that time, to allow the Arabs any of his Kerdies. His excuse was, that they were becoming Moslem without force: an idea that Boo-Khaloom was much offended with; "declaring that their conversion would "lose the Sultan thousands of slaves, as their constant wars "with each other afforded them the means of supplying them "abundantly."

Maj. Denham having applied for permission to visit the mountains, was informed, that "the Sultan could not imagine what "he wanted at the hills," and was asked "if he intended to "catch the Kerdies alone?" At last, however, he was allowed to go, well guarded by armed men; and by his inspection, "was

abundantly assured that this chain of mountains, the highest "parts of which, in the neighbourhood of Mandara, do not ex"ceed 2500 feet, extends nearly South for more than two "months' journey-how much beyond that, they know not."

After considerable delay, the ghrazie at length proceeded."We commenced our march through a beautiful valley to the "East of Mora (the capital of Mandara), winding round the hills "which overhang the town, and penetrating into the heart of "the mass of mountains nearly South of it." On the second day's march they were surrounded by mountain scenery, “which "could scarcely be exceeded in richness and beauty. On all "sides, the apparently interminable chain of hills closed upon "our view: in rugged magnificence and gigantic grandeur, "though not to be compared with the higher Alps, the Appe

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"nines, the Jura, or even the Sierra Morena, in magnitude; yet "by none of these were they surpassed in picturesque interest." "A range of minor hills, of more recent formation than the gra"nite chain from which they emanate, (which I cannot but suppose to form a part of El Gibel Gumhr, or Mountains of the "Moon,) approaches quite to the skirts of the extensive wood “through which we were passing" (on the third or fourth day); "and numerous deep ravines and dry water-courses, rendered "the passage tedious and difficult. On emerging from the wood "the large Felatah town of Dirkulla was perceivable, and the "Arabs were formed in front, headed by Boo-Khaloom. They "were flanked on each side by a large body of cavalry; and as "they moved on, shouting the Arab war-cry, which is very in“spiring, I thought I could perceive a smile pass between Bar

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ca Gana (the Bornouese General) and his chiefs, at Boo-Kha"loom's expense. Dirkulla was quickly burnt, and another "smaller town near it; and the few inhabitants that were found "in them, who were chiefly infants and aged persons unable to escape, were put to death without mercy, or thrown into the "flames.

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"We now came to a third town, in a situation capable of be•ing defended against assailants ten times as numerous as the "besieged: this town was called Musfeia." It was valiantly defended. The Bornouese and Mandarans kept themselves aloof, out of reach of the arrows and spears and stones rolled down the hill, and left the Arabs to conduct the fight alone.They were overpowered with great slaughter, put to flight, pursued by the Felatahs with their poisoned arrows, and dispersed in the mountains. Boo-Khaloom was killed. Major Denham was taken prisoner and stript, and would probably have been put to death, but for the astonishment occasioned by his whiteness. Seizing his opportunity, while the captors were dividing the spoils, he effected his escape, and rejoined the routed and retreating army. His books and clothes were afterwards very handsomely restored to his companion, Captain Clapperton, at Sackatoo, by Bello, the Sultan of the Felatahs.

In his supplemental chapter on Bornou, Major Denham has made many important observations. "Until introduced by the "Moors, the trading in slaves," says he, "was little known

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amongst them; the prisoners taken in battle served them, and "were given as portions to their children, on their marriage, "for the same duties; but they were seldom sold. Even now, "the greater part of the household of a man of rank, are free, with the exception of the women, who often die in the service of the master of their youth. They are treated always like the children of the house, and corporal punishment is a rare "pccurrence among them. I have more than once known a Bor❝houese, on his morning visit to my hut, say, with tears, that "e had sent a slave to be sold, who had been three years a part "of his family: then he would add, but the devil has got inte "her, and how could I keep her after that?"

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In short, it is to the pernicious principles of the Moorish "traders, whose avaricious brutality is beyond all belief, that "the traffic for slaves in the interior of Africa not only owes its "origin, but its continuance. They refuse all other modes of "payment for the articles which they bring with them; they well "know the eagerness with which these articles are sought after; "and by offering what appears to the natives an amazing price, "tempt them to sell their brethren to the most inhuman of all in"human beings, while they gain in Fezzan, Bengazi, and Egypt, "sometimes a profit of 500 per ct. I am not, however, without "hopes, that a more extended intercourse with Barbary might “detach even the proverbially unfeeling Moor from dealing in "human flesh; and it was with feelings of the highest satisfac❝tion that I listened to some of the most respectable of the mer"chants, when they declared, that were any other system of "trading adopted, they would gladly embrace it, in preference "to dealing in slaves: knowing, too, how often we interfered to "ameliorate the situation of any of these unfortunates, when

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they were oppressed or ill-treated, they would continually * point out to us, as if to excite our approbation, how well dress"ed and well fed their own slaves were, in comparison with "those of others, as we traversed the Desert, on our return to "Tripoli."

In speaking of the facilities and profits of trade in Central Africa, and the willingness of the government of Bornou to maintain an intercourse with Europe and the whites, he says: "Arab or Moorish merchants, the only ones who have hitherto ven

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